The Gospel of Mark Unfolded: A Pastor and Therapist explore the life of Yeshua

In this episode, we explore one of the most striking and boundary-breaking sections of Mark’s Gospel. First, Jesus travels into Gentile territory and meets the Syrophoenician woman - an outsider by every cultural and religious measure. Their conversation, which begins with a challenging metaphor about "dogs" unfolds into a powerful moment of faith, courage, and inclusion, as this remarka...

In this week's episode of Mark Unfolded , David and Sophie take a reflective pause to look back on the first 14 weeks of their deep dive into the Gospel of Mark. Each shares five key themes that have stood out to them - threads that have emerged through the stories, questions, and conversations so far. This episode offers both a meaningful review for regular listeners and an accessible on-ramp...

In this episode, pastor David Profitt and therapist Sophie Murphy explore one of Yeshua’s most radical teachings in the Gospel of Mark: what defiles a person. As the Pharisees confront Yeshua over tradition and ritual handwashing, we dig into the deeper tension between external religion and internal transformation. Why does Yeshua call out the Corban tradition? What does it mean to be a hypocrite?...

In this episode, pastor David Profitt and therapist Sophie Murphy dive into one of the most iconic moments in Mark’s Gospel - the feeding of the 5,000 and the mysterious scene of Yeshua walking on the water. We’ll explore the rich symbolism of the wilderness, where Yeshua draws the crowds like a shepherd calling his sheep, echoing the ancient promises of Hosea. We focus on Yeshua's deep compas...

In this episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy explore the confrontation between John the Baptist and Herod Antipas. We revisit John’s identity as a prophet in the wilderness tradition - a man of deep conviction and ascetic discipline, living out his calling with courage and clarity. In contrast, we examine Herod’s inner turmoil: a man who hears truth gladly but, like rocky soil...

In this episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy explore two deeply connected movements in Mark’s Gospel: Yeshua’s rejection in his hometown and the sending of the Twelve into the villages of Galilee. We reflect on why familiarity leads to offense, what it means to dishonor a prophet, and how hardened hearts block the work of the kingdom. Next we turn to Yeshua’s radical act of se...

In this episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy explore the powerful, intertwined stories of Jairus and the woman with the flow of blood. These two “daughters” come from opposite ends of the social spectrum - one the child of a synagogue leader, the other an unnamed, ritually unclean woman — but both are drawn into healing and restoration through bold, vulnerable faith. This epis...

In this episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy explore two of the most dramatic moments in the Gospel of Mark — the calming of the storm and the healing of the man with the legion of unclean spirits. What do these back-to-back stories reveal about Yeshua's identity, his authority over chaos, and the nature of true faith? We dig into the powerful symbolism of sea and tomb, ex...

In this episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy dive into the parable of the sower, the lamp under the basket, the scattered seed, and the mustard seed. We explore the "secret" of the kingdom of God and what it means to deepen into the mystery of following Yeshua. We slow down and give time to each parable, asking the same question on everyone's mind who followed hi...

In this episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy dive into one of the most intense and revealing sections of Mark’s Gospel. We’ll see Yeshua’s growing fame bring massive crowds as his family tries to rein him in. We’ll also see the religious leaders coming down from Jerusalem to escalate their opposition - going so far as to accuse him of working with Satan.   We’ll unpack Yeshua’...

In this episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy explore some of Yeshua’s most powerful and disruptive metaphors - the unshrunk cloth, the new wineskins, and his bold claim to be the long awaited Bridegroom. What was Yeshua saying when he declared himself ‘Lord of the Sabbath’? Why did the Pharisees react so strongly to his teaching? And what does it mean for us today to be a new...

In this episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy explore two powerful encounters that challenge expectations of who this Messiah is. Four friends refuse to let anything stand between their paralyzed friend and Jesus - not crowds, not cultural norms, not even a roof. Then, Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, showing that his mission is to seek out sinners rather than the righteous....

In this episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy explore one of Jesus’ most striking healings - the cleansing of a leper. While society isolates this man, fearing contamination and hardening their hearts against him, Jesus does the unthinkable: he reaches out and touches him. With deep compassion, he restores not only the man’s body but his belonging within the community. What doe...

In this bonus episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy step back to discuss the guiding norms for their study of the Gospel of Mark. This podcast is an extension of their church’s midrash group, a space for wrestling with Scripture in a deep and engaged way. But how do we ensure that we’re not only engaging in a close reading of the text, but also allowing the text read us? As the...

In this episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy explore Jesus’ arrival in Capernaum, where his teaching and his encounters with unclean spirits and the sick reveal an astonishing authority. But what kind of authority is this? The Greek word points to something flowing from his very being - his identity as the Beloved Son. Join us as we examine how Jesus’ words and works declare w...

In this episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy continue their close study of the Gospel of Mark. Jesus emerges from obscurity to be baptized by John, and in a stunning moment, the heavens open and he is named the Beloved Son in whom the Father delights. But immediately, the Spirit drives him into the wilderness, where this identity is tested through struggle and isolation. Jesus...

In this first episode, Pastor David Profitt and Therapist Sophie Murphy begin their close study of the Gospel of Mark. We meet John the Baptist, a wild prophet in the wilderness, calling people to metanoia and preparing the way for someone far greater than himself - one whose sandals he is unworthy to untie. What does this opening reveal about Jesus, and why does Mark begin his Gospel this way? Jo...